New Arts District office building working toward mid-2021 opening

Developer Lowe—formerly Lowe Enterprises—is gearing up to begin construction on a nine-story office building on the southern end of the Arts District by the end of the year.

The top four floors of the 100,000-square-foot structure, designed by Ware Malcomb, will be occupied by office space and terraces designed as “indoor and outdoor meeting and gathering spots,” says a statement from Lowe. The roof will be outfitted as a lounge, with seating and spaces for recreation.

The building’s lower floors will hold four levels of parking with space for 275 cars and 3,300 square feet of ground-floor retail. Overall, the building at 2130 Violet is intended to fit in with the neighborhood’s warehouses and industrial buildings.

“Violet Street will offer all the options most desired by today’s companies—large contiguous spaces, floor-to-ceiling windows, outdoor terraces, operable windows and a rooftop deck—in a transforming neighborhood,” says Tom Wulf, executive vice president at Lowe.

Along Violet Street, the project will also bring sidewalks, tree grates, and new landscaping, all aimed at creating an “appealing environment” that developers hope will entice building tenants to walk to nearby destinations. The office building is expected to open in mid-2021.

The southern end of the Arts District is gradually starting to see more and more newcomers. Last month, employees of Warner Music Group moved into the renovated Ford Factory at Seventh Street and Sante Fe Avenue. Warner’s parent company Access recently bought the building and its parking garage from Shorenstein Partners, paying $195 million, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Around the corner, at Bay Street and Santa Fe, an outpost of the Soho Club, called Soho Warehouse, is planned. Though its opening date has been pushed back a number of times, it’s set to open this spring, says Lowe.

Right next door to Soho Warehouse, a large complex is planned that will include 110 live/work units, an office building the size of 2130 Violet with a rooftop restaurant, pedestrian paseos, and “a strategically-adapted retail shed structure.”